


I Don't Want to Believe

by HopeCoppice



Series: Same Earth [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: A tiny bit of angst I suppose, Fluff, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Same Earth AU, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 13:16:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6705826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeCoppice/pseuds/HopeCoppice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry doesn't want to believe that Winn could be cheating on him. But what choice does he have? He can't think of any other explanation for his boyfriend's behaviour.</p><p>Eventually, he has to speak to Winn about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Don't Want to Believe

Barry doesn’t want to believe his boyfriend is cheating on him.

It’s just that Winn’s a really bad liar, and surely if you _weren’t_ cheating on your boyfriend - a boyfriend who lives in another city, no less - you wouldn’t turn up at coffee dates sweaty and breathless and _glowing_ and then lie about where you’d been. You wouldn’t have this little smirk creeping onto your face every time you checked your phone when you were _with_ said boyfriend.

“There’s got to be another explanation, right?” He asks his friends at STAR labs, and they exchange awkward glances.  
“Yeah, of course,” Cisco tells him eventually. “Loads of possibilities. Like… he’s found spiritual enlightenment.”  
“Maybe he’s using a new deodorant or something and it’s giving him weird allergic reactions, but he keeps using it because he thinks it smells really great.” Caitlin shrugs. “Guys are weird like that.”  
“No offence, guys, but you’re not very convincing.”  
“...Well. Er, maybe he doesn’t think he’s cheating on you?” Caitlin tries.  
“What does that even mean?” Barry’s baffled, but Cisco nods.  
“Yeah, could be. I guess… some people in long-distance relationships kind of… open the whole thing up. Maybe he thinks you’re in one of those.”  
“But we’re not.”  
It’s Cisco’s turn to shrug. “Maybe he got the wrong idea.”  
“It could all be a huge misunderstanding,” Caitlin soothes, but it doesn’t make Barry feel a whole lot better.  
“Either way… you think there’s someone else?” But that’s when Harrison Wells walks in with something important for them to do, and he’s clearly in no mood to be trifled with. The conversation drops and before long Barry is racing through the streets of Central City, trying to stop yet another supervillain with a grudge against his free time. 

When he gets home, late that night, Iris is still awake, filing her latest article.  
“Hey, Barry. What’s wrong? You look like someone stole your puppy.”  
“I think Winn might be cheating on me.”  
“Yeah?” She closes her laptop and listens sympathetically as he spills out the whole sorry story - Winn’s been late for dates, he’s turned up exhausted and happy and stinking of _man_ \- until, finally, he concludes with,  
“...and Cisco and Caitlin think maybe he thought we had an open relationship.”  
“Hmm. What did he say when you talked to him about it?”  
“He just lied about where he’d been. And I haven’t had another chance to-”  
“Well, talk to him about it. Maybe it’s not what you think.” She opens the laptop again, and he stands, recognising the dismissal. He’s halfway upstairs, dragging his feet, when Iris speaks again. “Oh, and Barry? If he’s cheating on you, I’ll kick his ass.”

* * *

Barry manages to put off talking to Winn about it all - or about anything, for that matter - for two days before he decides to be brave and face the man he loves. The truth is, he’s missed him, and he’s afraid that their relationship is over, but he’s also hoping that they can save it somehow. 

They meet at Noonan’s for coffee; it’s Winn’s turf, but Barry’s hoping that will make him feel more comfortable about telling him the truth. Or maybe it will make him more likely to lie in case his friends come by. Either way, they’re here now, and it’s too late to change the venue or give up on the whole conversation.  
“Hey, how are you?” Winn kisses him quickly on the cheek, glancing around afterwards as if to check whether anybody saw him do it, and that’s not reassuring at all. Could Winn’s other man be here, too?  
“I… yeah, you know what? Not great. I got you your usual, can we talk?”  
“Er… Yeah. I mean… Bit ominous, roadrunner.”  
“Don’t call me that.” Still, Barry can’t help but smile at the irritating nickname. “Look, I’m gonna ask you a question, and I just want an honest answer, that’s all. Just… be straight with me here.”  
To Winn’s credit, he lets the obvious joke go by unsaid, obviously aware that this is a serious conversation. “Of course, yeah. Go on.”  
“Are you seeing someone else?”

Winn’s jaw drops and his whole face falls with it. For a moment, he looks as if he really doesn’t know what to say.  
“No.” He takes a sip of coffee - hot, he winces as it touches his lips - and frowns for a moment. “No. Why would you think that?”  
“I don’t want to think it. I just… I don’t know how else to explain it. You keep turning up late for dates, all sweaty and happy and you won’t tell me where you’ve been, and… and you _glow_ , so if you’re seeing someone I figure at least he’s making you happy, but…”  
“But I’m not seeing someone. Just you. Oh, god, I would have told you where I was going if I realised you’d think- but you’ve got to promise not to laugh?”  
“I promise.” Barry doesn’t feel like laughing, even though a tiny bubble of hope is beginning to rise in his chest.  
“I’ve been running.” Winn blurts, red around the tops of his ears with embarrassment. “I mean - jogging. Training. I know I’ll never be able to keep up with you, but I thought… well, I got one of Kara’s DEO friends to give me some basic training tips - Vasquez, she’s nice, you’d like her - and then I started working on it on my own. I basically jog everywhere at the moment, as much as I can, because… well, it… makes me feel like I’m sharing something with you.”

Barry stares at him for a moment.  
“Running.”  
“Yeah. I mean… it’s stupid, isn’t it, but-”  
“It’s brilliant.” And then Barry is yanking him across the table so he can kiss him. “You’re brilliant. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”  
“Don’t be, I shouldn’t have been so secretive. I honestly thought you’d laugh.”  
“No. No, I’m proud of you, I think it’s really cute.”

 They’re getting some funny looks, now, so Barry suggests they take their coffee date outside. Winn suggests they take it back to his apartment, and then remembers he’s got to get back to work in twenty minutes. Barry thinks he could probably get him home and back in that time, but he doesn’t want to risk the wrath of Cat Grant if he fails. There are enough people trying to kill him at any given moment as it is. They go for a walk together instead.

* * *

That Saturday morning, Barry knocks on Winn’s apartment door and watches his boyfriend, wearing his favourite _Doctor Who_ pyjamas, rub sleep from his eyes before handing him a steaming hot coffee and a gift-wrapped bundle.  
“Uh… hey. What’s…? OK, come in, I’m gonna get this in me,” he waggled the coffee, “and then we can get to the what-the-hell-is-this part of the morning.”  
Barry steps across the threshold, his own coffee now less precariously balanced in his hand, and settles on the sofa with a grin to wait for Winn to wake up properly. 

He knows when the caffeine kicks in, because Winn suddenly comes to sit beside him and rests his head on his shoulder.  
“So what’s the gift?”  
“I dunno, why don’t you open it and find out?” Barry couldn’t help but laugh as his freshly-caffeinated boyfriend pounces and rips open the wrapping paper to reveal…  
“A t-shirt… oh my God, you _nerd_!” Coming from Winn, Barry knows that’s a compliment, and sure enough he keeps going. “You wonderful, perfect nerd. This is so great!”  
It was only a t-shirt with ‘Gotta go fast’ written on it and a picture of Sonic the Hedgehog, but it was clearly the best thing Winn could imagine receiving in that moment.  
“You like it?”  
“I love it! I can wear it to go running, this is perfect.”  
“Great.” Barry reaches out and pulls him down beside him, but Winn jumps up almost immediately to pull his pyjama top over his head. “What’s the rush? You can try it on later.”  
“Who said I was trying anything on?” Winn treats him to a devilish smirk, then settled onto Barry’s lap. 

...Yeah, Winn can try it on later. That suits Barry just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at coppicefics.tumblr.com - come and hang out, or let me know if you've got any requests!


End file.
